Hong Kong No 2 Matt Holland set to stay in role despite beginning top job with Lee Man
Welshman says there will be no conflict of interest as his new club beat Kitchee in his first game on home soil to reach Senior Shield final
Matt Holland says he has been given the green light to continue as Hong Kong assistant boss, despite taking charge of local Premier League club Lee Man.
Welshman Holland cut an animated, agitated and, ultimately, euphoric figure on the touchline at Mong Kok Stadium on Saturday, as his new club beat Kitchee 2-1 to reach the Senior Shield final.
Hired as No 2 to Hong Kong manager Ashley Westwood in October, Holland’s position with the representative team became shrouded in doubt when he accepted the Lee Man post this month.
The 36-year-old, nonetheless, said that the local football association and Lee Man had reached an “agreement that I will continue to support the Hong Kong team in my role with Ashley, which I am very proud of”.
Holland, who said his visa was “all clear” to allow him to work for two employers, insisted the Lee Man job would not create a conflict of interest in his post with Hong Kong, because Westwood is wholly responsible for selection.
He will have to juggle Hong Kong’s East Asian Football Federation Championship qualifier against Chinese Taipei on December 14 with Lee Man’s Sapling Cup game against Kowloon City the following day.
